Virtual Private Network or VPN for short is what comes to mind when we talk aboutanonymity and bypassing geo-blocking by a site. Yes, VPNs can help us remain anonymous and access “many restricted sites”, but these private networks offer so much more. To know more about VPNs, it’s best to start from the beginning, namely by understanding why we need a VPN.
Domain name search is the beginning of everything
When you use a browser to access a domain, the browser is essentially doing a lookup of the Domain Name Service (DNS) server. Once that browser gets an IP address, it will connect to the server. The connection between your computer and the server is usually secured by code encryption using SSL/TLS. However, the encrypted connection is not always secure due to the fact, there are many attacks to access Wi-Fi, even though it is encrypted. One of the keys to a successful attack is downgrading TLS to encrypt data.
What is a VPN connection? Basically it’s a data connection on the basis of a spoofed address. When you add a VPN to your connection, the network will package the data without using the initial encryption. Instead of using the “connection’s built-in encryption”, it uses its encryption to process the data. This way the server will see that the current connection is coming from your VPN, not your public IP. Even if someone is skilled enough to still hijack the connection, he will find it difficult to peek at the data that is being transmitted because the chances of brute force are practically non-existent.
VPN is all about the provider
You have understood that all VPNs work on relatively the same principles. Now your task is to determine whether VPN A or VPN B is truly able to meet your needs and expectations. Reading reviews might help but that’s not all. You may need to understand some parameters as follows:
– Cryptographically secure encryption
We already know that brute force is an opportunity for your data to be intercepted when an unstable connection is in progress, and it has something to do with cryptography. Data connected via a cryptographically secure connection completely eliminates brute force opportunities.
– Support
Protocol supported by more devices. The more devices that support a VPN protocol, the more accommodating the service will be.
– Density
This point relates to the number of users on one IP address. Free VPNs use bulk IP addresses that are most likely “recognized”. What this means is that some servers usually recognize certain VPN IP addresses which are often used for malicious purposes by a group of chronic spammers. If a server decides to block some VPN IP addresses, you may not use any, some, or all of them. Thus it is pointless to use a VPN service associated with those blocked addresses. On the other hand, if you use a paid VPN service, you will be provided with a private VPN IP address which means no one else uses it but you. In other words, you are unlikely to be banned.
So, is it important for you to use a VPN service?
